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Osieck: Qantas Socceroos will be hungry

Australia coach Holger Osieck has vowed the issues that led to the Qantas Socceroos' shock 2-1 loss to Jordan in AFC World Cup qualifying are "not going to happen again".

Australia coach Holger Osieck has vowed the issues that led to the Qantas Socceroos' shock 2-1 loss to Jordan in AFC World Cup qualifying are "not going to happen again".

Speaking on Monday in Melbourne to announce his largely domestic-based preliminary squad for the Qantas Socceroos' EAFF East Asian Cup qualifying campaign in December, Osieck seemed reluctant to definitively state complacency had been a problem in September's match in Amman.

But he did concede a lack of hunger had perhaps been a contributor to the loss, and talked tough when asked if it could be a problem again.

"Well, if you had got the impression that had been the case, I can assure you it's over," Osieck said, with Melbourne's Etihad Stadium revealed as the host for the return leg against Jordan in June, 2013.

"What I saw and what I corrected … There was some very clear, clear messages to the team. That's not going to happen again, I can guarantee that."

When pressed, Osieck elaborated further: "You could get some kind of feeling they were not probably as hungry as they normally were. For instance, in the Japan game (a 1-1 draw in June), that is for me the perfect of example of the performance standard can be when they are really challenged.

"I think we're going to demonstrate the desire to be successful and to win in the upcoming games."

Those games include a meeting with hosts Hong Kong on December 3 in the Qantas Socceroos' opening match of East Asian Cup qualifying, followed by games against North Korea (December 5), Guam (December 7) and Chinese Taipei (December 9).

Most of the names involved in Jordan in September are missing from Osieck's latest squad, however, with the matches failing to fall on FIFA-designated dates.

The squad contains 11 potential debutants and just seven players with more than 10 international caps to their names.

Former Perth Glory and Gold Coast United defender Djulbic could debut at age 29, having made the Chinese Super League's All-Star team this season.

The squad will link up on Monday, before Osieck announces a final 20-man list on Thursday.

The German is confident, despite missing a host of regulars, he has the quality to progress through to finals of the East Asian Cup, held in Seoul in July, 2013.

Describing the squad as a "very good mix", he said he and his coaching staff had long been making preparations for December's matches.

"It was clear the moment we agreed to play in this tournament we would get our players from Europe," Osieck said.

"Even the Middle East players were not considered as their seasons are in full swing.

"There is a lot of experience when you look at names like (Brett) Emerton … Thwaite … Vidosic … Richard Garcia."

Qantas Socceroos squads largely made up of domestic-based players have traditionally struggled, with 2009's 1-0 loss to Kuwait in Canberra seemingly vindicating then-coach Pim Verbeek's lack of confidence in the standard of the A-League.

Osieck, however, has no such concerns.

"The competitiveness (of the A-League) from my point of view has gone up," he said.

"That is a good indication that the league is getting stronger and stronger."